Crossing guard for railways and the like



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,697

c. L. COOK I CROSSING GUARD FOR RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 22.1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l C. L. COOK CROSSING GUARD FOR'RAILWAYS AND THELIKE v 2 sheetg sheet '2 Dec. 27, 1927.

Filed Sept. 22, 1925 Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES dHAnLEs LEE COOK, F LoUIsvILLE, KENTUCKY.

CROSSING GUARD FOR RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September 22, 1925. Serial No. 57,875.

The present invention relates to crossing guards for railways and thelike, and the primary ObJECl) is to provide mechanism of r a novel andautomatic character, whereby a gate will be caused to extend across aroadway at or adjacent to a crossing upon the approach of a train, themechanism perlnitting the return of the gate to its inoperative orinactive position when the danger has passed the crossing.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevationoi? the gate-operating mechanism,

Figure 2 is a view diagrammatic in its character, showing the controlmechanism for the gate operating means,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of an electric circuit, by' which thegate-operating means is controlled.

Figure lis a detail sectional view showing the contact elements inendelevation.

In the embodiment disclosed the usual vertically swinging crossing gateis employed, and is designatedh. The gate is counterweighted, as shownat 5*. and is pivoted. as shownat 6, to the outside of a casing 7, whichis placed alongside the highway, as will be readily understood. In theupper portion of this casing is a cylinder member 8, within which islocated a reciprocatory piston member 9. The piston member 9 has avertical depending piston rod 10 that is provided on one side with arack 11. This piston rod has its tree end slidably guided, as shown at12, in thelower portion of the casing 7 The rack .11 is in mesh with agear 13 fixed to the pivot 6, to which the gate 5 is fast.

Alongside the track in advance of the crossing is suitably supported anelevated rail member 14, preferably angular in cross section, so as toform a shed against the elements, and having a flared receiving end 14*.The locomotives or other parts of the trains that run upon the railwayare provided with a coacting contact element. Thus a locomotive 15 isindicated in outline, and mounted thereon is a roller 16 having atapered periphery that runs against the under side of the track element.Preterably this roller is carried by a shaft 16 journaled on thelocomotive and capable of limited play longitudinally so as to allow forthe oscillation 0r side-lash of the locomotive. It is of courseunderstood that the flared receiving mouth 14* is ample to insure thatof the locomotive wheels.

the reception of the roller, irrespective of suchlateral play as mayoccur on the part of the roller. Preferably also the perimeter, speed ofthe wheel 16 is the same as To insure this, suitable drivingconnections, indicated at 16*, may be utilized between a driving wheeland the shaft 16 for the purpose.

Suitably mounted in or on the casing? is a chamber 17 for fluid underpressure, and leading from this chamber is a conduit 18 thatcommunicates with the upper end of the cylinder member 8 above thepiston 9. A rotary fan blower 19 is located in the mouth of the chamberfor delivering air there/into, and this fan blower is operated byasuitable motor, indicated at 20. The motor 20 is in an electriccircuit, indicated at 21 in Figure 3. This circuit includes a suitablesource of electrical energy 22, and

the rail contact element 14. The roller contact element 16 is alsoincluded in the circuit through grounds 28. Thus, as shown in Figure 3.when the contact elements 1 1 and 16 are in engagement the circuit iscompleted through the source of electrical energy 24 and the motor 20,as a consequence of which the motor is operated and the fan blower 19 isdriven. The fluid pressure chamber 17 may also be in communication witha fluid operated signal in the form of a horn or other similar device,indicated at 25. 1

With this construction, the counterweight .ot the gate 5, is normallysulticientto hold said gate elevated with the piston member 9 in theupper portion of the cylinder member8. When, however, a train approachesthe crossing, the roller 16 will engage with the track 14, thus closingthe circuit through the motor 20, as indicated in Figure 3. The resultis that the fan blower is caused to operate. driving air into thechamber 17, Where the pressure increases. This air or fluidunder-pressure passes through the con duit 18 to the upper end of thecylinder member 8, moving the piston downwardly, and thus through therack and pinion gear 1113, causing the gate 5 to lower. At the same timea portion of the air passes through the horn or signal 25, giving analarm to approaching vehicles. When the roller 16 has passed beyond therail lei, the circuit is broken, the motor 20 therefore stops and thecounterweight will react to elevate the gateand the piston 9 to theposition shown in Figure 1, the air escaping through the conduit 18 andpast the blower 19.

An effective crossing guard of an automatic character is.'thus provided,the operating fluid being relatively low, so that the gate moves slowlydownwardly, and-should it strike an obstruction, will stop withoutdamage to the parts.

From the foregoing, it, is thought that the construction, operation andmany advan tages of the herein-described invention will be apparent *tothoseskilledinthe a1*t ,-witl1- out further description, and it will beunderstood that VilllOUS changes .in the size, shape, proportion .andminor details of ,construction maybe resortedto without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any ofxthe advantages of the invention.

hat I claim, is: i y

1. In a crossing guard apparatus, the combination witha movable gate,"of a gate operating motor, a pressure chamber having a conduitconnection'with the motor and also constantly open to atmosphere, .apump of sufficient capacity :to supply ,motive fluid to the pressurechamber, in excess oi that escaping .to atmosphere, to actuate the gateoperating motor, and ,mechanism for 'controlling the operation of thepump including roadside and car-carriedmechanism.

2. In a crossing guard apparatus, the combination with a movable gate,elf a gate operating motor, a pressure chamber having a conduitconnection with the ,motor and also constantly opentoratmosphere, aifluid operated signal actuated by fluid from the chamber, xa pump forsupplying fluid to the chamber to actuate the gate :motor and signal,and mechanism for controlling the ope 'ation of the pump, includingroadside and car-carried mechanism.

a 3. In a crossing guard apparatus, the combination with a movable gate,of a gate operating motor, a pressure chamber having a conduitconnection with the motor, a ,fluid operated signal actuated by fluidfrom the chamber, said chamber being open 'to atmosphere forperniittingthe escape olf flnitl when the motor steps, a pump of sufficientcapacity to supply motive fluid, in excess of that escaping toatmosphere, to actuate the gate motor and signal, and mechanism forcontrollinglthe operationkof the pump, including roadside andcar-carried mechanism.

l. In crossing guard apparatus, the combination with a gate, of afluid-actuated 1110- tori'or operating thegate, an electrically operatedEtan blower for" delivering fluid to with the cylinder member, aialrblower deliveringinto the chamber, anelectricmotor ior operat ng thefan blower, and an elec- 'trical clreult including the fanmotor, acontactrail alongthe track, andal-contact amcarried elementmovabieyintov and out of engagel'nent with the rail. a y y 6. Incrossing gnarl apparatusfthr com bination with a pivoted crossing gate,e f a fluid motor comprising a cylinder member and a piston membertherein, one member pressure chamber having communication nuth thecylinder member, a tan blower delivering into the chamber, an electricmotor for operating the fan blower, an electrical circuit including thefan motor, a contact rail along the track and a contact car-carriedelement movable intoand out of engagement with the rail, andafluid'operated signal receiving fluid under pressure from the pressurechamber.

In testimony whereof, I-atlixiny signature enemas LEE 000K.

being movable and gearedto *the gate, a fluid

